So it’s a month away from the general election and Democratic gubernatorial challenger Vincent Sheheen brings up the Confederate flag. Coincidence? Smart strategy? Or desperation for relevance?
It certainly isn’t a coincidence. Trying to shift debate to more favorable ground during elections is what politicians do. But in this instance, it’s probably a blend of a smart campaign tactic and a last-ditch effort to secure victory to issue a call to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.
“This is something I’ve been planning to do for quite some time,” Sheheen told us this week. “It is the right thing to do at the right time.
“If you want to make a real difference in the state, you only have so many opportunities to do that. The eyes of the state are on me. I wanted to lift it up as a major issue. We are in a point in time in South Carolina where we can accomplish this goal.”
Down 10 points in a new Winthrop Poll and four points in another survey, Sheheen needed to do something to focus his campaign on the differences between his values and those of incumbent GOP Gov. Nikki Haley.
The flag — an old issue propped up throughout the years — also may help energize his African American base, which some say is lukewarm because of the alternative offered by a potential spoiler, common-sense talking, independent Republican Tom Ervin. But with more people moving into the state over the last few years, many may wonder why we’re still talking about the Confederate flag. That may get them to the polls and send them to Sheheen or Ervin.
Some background: Back in 1962, the legislature voted to put the flag on top of the Statehouse. Some say it was raised as part of the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. Others counter it was really hoisted to remind people of South Carolina’s opposition to the national struggle over civil rights. The flag, however, didn’t come down after the end of the anniversary celebration.
In 1996, GOP Gov. David Beasley called for the flag’s removal. Later he amended his position but by then the whole thing didn’t sit well with enough people that by 1998, it became a reason Beasley didn’t win re-election. By 1999, calls intensified for the flag’s removal. The next year after thousands marched from Charleston to Columbia to protest the flag, lawmakers reached a compromise that took the banner off the Statehouse dome, but placed it on a pole in a memorial in front of the building — a place where many critics complained it actually had a more prominent position.
Today, Sheheen rebuffs criticism by Haley’s supporters that seeking to remove the flag is desperate. Haley, who could lose votes from her conservative base if she agreed with Sheheen, could not be reached for comment about whether the flag should stay or go. Her press aides, as usual, did not return calls and other outreach.
“She refuses to answer the question because she’s not a leader,” Sheheen jabs, noting that Haley is 43 percent or below in the new polls. Most observers would agree that it is dangerous for any incumbent to be in the low- to mid-40s just a month out from the election.
Ervin, the independent Republican, agrees with Sheheen. “The flag should not be flown in front of the Statehouse,” he said in a statement. “The flag has a place in the history of South Carolina. For some, it’s a symbol of oppression and for others, it’s a symbol of states’ rights.
“A symbol this divisive should not be flown in front of the Statehouse. Rather, it should be placed in our State Museum so we can remember our past and look to our future.”
Whether Sheheen’s call for the flag’s removal will be effective will be seen in the days ahead. One thing he has to worry about is that this new message is off-script. For weeks, he’s been blasting the governor with ads that say she can’t be trusted for one reason or another. And regardless of what you think about the Confederate flag, it’s not about trust.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report. He can be reached at brack@statehousereport.com.
(843) 766-WEST (9378)
publisher@westof.net
